For some longtime land-line telephone users in Berks County, any change to that traditional service would not be warmly received.

"I have many older family members in Montgomery County and southern New Jersey that also only have land lines or who only use a cellphone for emergencies," said Naomi Proud of Mohnton. "A law like that would greatly impact senior citizens that do not know how to use a cellphone."

House Bill 1608, introduced by Rep. Warren Kampf, a Republican who represents parts of Chester and Montgomery counties, is intended to put hard-line phone companies on an equal footing with cellular and digital phone providers.

But one consequence, opponents fear, could be the phasing out of land-line service.

Beth Carson said she'd oppose ending land-line service, but for a different reason.

"I live in the Gouglersville area, and our cellphone reception is extremely spotty," she said. "I cannot hold a conversation with someone on my cellphone without the call dropping."

Having to rely on her cellphone in emergencies would not be an option, she said.

For some, having a land-line phone is a matter of tradition. Jack's Pub on North 10th Street in Reading keeps an old pay phone in the bar. It was installed in the days when pay phones were moneymakers, said Kyle Wennell, the pub's owner.

That phone's days may be numbered, Wennell said, but he keeps for convenience to make and take calls at the bar.

"We have to have a phone line for the credit-card machine anyway," he said. "So since we have that, I just leave (the pay phone) connected."

Erica Syp of Muhlenberg Township works at a local credit union and speaks to many older customers who use only a house phone.

"If they were to lose their house phone and had a financial issue, I don't know how we would reach them," Syp said.

Beth Stoner of Birdsboro likes the security provided by the two land lines in her home.

"Right now, we just keep them around out of habit, but it is nice when the electric goes out," she said. "Although then we do have our cellphones if we need to call out."

The biggest concern, however, would be for seniors who rely on their land lines, Stoner added. "We don't think it is a good idea to eliminate the land line," she said, "because there are a lot of elderly people that don't have the cell phones and who also need the life-alert machines."